


Young Injustice - Agents of C.R.I.M.E

by FuzzyBeta



Series: The Swift Chronicles [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DC-Fandom, DCU, Justice League - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Arkham Asylum, Drama, F/M, Gen, Major Original Character(s), Multi, Murder, Mystery, Original Character Death(s), Other, Romance, Secret Organizations, Villains, villain kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-03 04:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15811839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuzzyBeta/pseuds/FuzzyBeta
Summary: When the first phase of their plan went up in smoke, The Light decided they needed to up the ante. Enter the Agents of C.R.I.M.E. (Covert Reconnaissance and Intelligence Militia Enforcers), the proteges of Arkham's most villainous Rogues. Will these Agents fulfil their destiny and defeat the Team? Or will they find a higher calling beyond the Light? It's time to find out. (Currently rated T but may rise in future)





	1. The Council of Light

_**Unknown Location, January 1, 04:34 EST, 2010** _

Vandal Savage stared up at the holographic screens in front of him. Each one of them showed footage of several young teens in tightly fitted costumes, fighting against stronger larger adults also in bright coloured suits.

His scowl was particularly grim as he caught sight of a strong tall dark figure with a black cowl and cape be defeated by a smaller teenage boy with a red and black suit and a black and yellow cape.

_Those damn little sidekicks. Who'd have thought they'd be such a nuisance?_

Vandal Savage sighed as he gestured to the holographic footage to move to the side as he pulled up a file. It was a document all in blue, with bright white text and various images flashing across the screen.

He had hoped it would be a long time till he had to make use of this contingency. The Light had many years yet till their true plans could come to fruition, yet the Justice League always had a way of forcing their hand to speed up the process.

It was a good thing he was always prepared.

He swiftly typed on a holographic keyboard and brought up a rectangular window through which a man's face was quick to appear as the video link was connected.

Through the video, Vandal could see the bleary face of a bald Caucasian man, with dark eyebrows and dark blue eyes, which glowered tiredly at him.

"Savage, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"This is urgent Luthor. It seems our plan to turn the Justice League against the Earth has failed."

"I know. Scarlett has already informed me of the situation" Lex Luthor sighed as he squared his shoulders straighter where he sat. "I take it you have a plan to rectify the situation?"

"I do indeed." Vandal Savage's smile widened maliciously "Ready your plane for the morning and meet me and the other council members at these coordinates. We will discuss more there"

* * *

_**Bermuda Triangle, January 1, 10:45 ECT, 2010.** _

The conference room was bathed in hot orange-red light, as a flowing wall of magma poured down from behind the giant glass wall behind the head of the table.

In front of this window and behind the head chair, Vandal Savage stood, staring down all the members of the council of the Light that had agreed to meet him.

To his right sat three figures, an older distinguished man in a green cape with greying temples, a young man with jet black hair spiked up like devil's horns, with an orange tabby cat sleeping in the seat between him and the last figure, which turned out to be not even human at all, but a brain situated in a movable robotic cylindrical body.

On the opposite side of the table sat Lex Luthor, no longer tired and dressed in a sharp dark business suit. On either side of him sat two women. The one on his left was regal looking, with dark skin, jet black hair and a golden crown that sparkled against her silvery grey outfit. On Luthor's right, an equally beautiful pale-skinned woman sat, with platinum blonde hair, red lips and a tight fitted crimson business dress with a plunging neckline that left nothing to the imagination and a chequered black and white domino mask.

It was this woman that, cleared her throat and narrowed her hazel eyes at Vandal Savage, drumming her fingers on the table, making the black spider tattoo on her wrist dance with each movement.

"Well, I take it there is a reason you summoned us all personally here to this island?" she spat when he didn't respond to her first cough.

"There is Scarlett" Vandal Savage smirked, amused by his colleague's impatience "As you all know, our plan to infiltrate the Justice League and infect them with the Starro Tech chips, hasn't gone quite according to plan"

"Pff! Understatement!" the young devilish pale man pouted stroking the cat next to him.

"Not quite true" a robotic voice spoke from the vessel of the robotic brain. "Our off-world operatives were able to finish their assignment before they were cured. We might still be able to turn the tide"

"The Brain is correct." The man in the green cape, Ras Al Ghul, agreed, his voice solemn as he addressed the room at large. "If we act soon we might be able to put a stop to the Justice League's investigations before they get anywhere. They already know about the Starro Tech, it won't be long till they start tracing it back to Cadmus and our other activities."

"Then there is the clone Roy Harper." The dark regal woman beside Luthor murmured grimly. "Now that he is aware of his roots, he will undoubtedly start searching for the original Speedy"

"Let him try, Queen Bee" Luthor smirked leaning back in his chair "Our Cadmus facilities are all well hidden. It will be quite some time till Red Arrow finds him, and if he's hitting too close to home, we can just throw him a bone for him to sniff in the wrong direction"

"Indeed, and that is precisely the reason I summoned you all here today." Vandal Savage smiled as he finally sat in his chair, his form a dark shadow against the fiery lava flowing behind him.

With a swipe on the table, he illuminated a white holographic computer, swiping forwards several documents towards each of the council members in turn.

"Project C.R.I.M.E?" Queen Bee quirked a brow at her fellow council members. "You can't be serious?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures" Vandal Savage shrugged, not at all phased by his colleagues' scepticism as they all read through the documents at their own pace.

"I see you have decided to take a leaf out of the Justice League's book and make them a team" Ra's Al Ghul sighed as he flicked through the contents of the document, his green eyes scanning each page quickly. "Though I hardly see how we can prepare them in such a short space of time"

"That depends on who we can hire to train them" Scarlett pursed her lips as she traced her fingers over a line of text "Though I agree with you Ra's. Training operatives from the ground up takes time and resources. Two things we are running short on"

"We can make do." The Brain spoke robotically from his spot "Besides, half of them already have the abilities necessary for the job. And we already have the genomorphs to speed things along should we find them too slow"

"And if that doesn't work, I can always play with them" the pale dark boy gave a gleeful creepy cackle, only to be silenced by Luthor's cough of distaste.

"There won't be any need for any of that Klarion. We have already chosen some fine specimens to start with, they just need refinement and guidance."

"Both of which they will receive here in the Tartarus facility, and more, under the careful eyes of very specialized trainers and handlers." Vandal Savage assured the room, pressing his fingers together in front of him.

"Rest assured, I have taken no chances and spared no expense to arm and protect this island from outside threats. And even if the Justice League or their little team of children do find out about it, we have special contingencies set in place so that they do not discover our true intentions. After all, these Agents of ours are merely a smokescreen, a distraction if you will, to keep the League busy while we prepare ourselves for Phase two of our great plan. If all goes well, the Agents might even prove themselves useful when Phase two is in effect and long after."

"And if they're not? What if they become more of a liability than a help? What will we do then?" Scarlett's lips curled and all eyes upon Vandal Savage seemed to harden considerably.

"There are failsafe for that too" the man in question, smiled oh-so-pleasantly. "Though I doubt we'll have to resort to such  _drastic_  measures. If you'd like I can send you more information on some of our other options to distract the league, though none of them will be nearly as effective as the one you see before you."

"I suppose" Scarlett murmured as she considered the document before her thoughtfully.

Opposite her, Ra's Al Ghul rolled his eyes.

"We are wasting time. Every minute we waste only gives the Detective and the rest of the league more of a chance to interfere with our plans. We all should vote now on our next course of action."

"Agreed" Luthor nodded as he straightened up in his chair, clearing his throat importantly "All those in favour of Project C.R.I.M.E?"

He and Vandal Savage were quick to raise their hands, though the rest of their compatriots all hesitated. Finally, after a couple of seconds, they all raised their hands, or at least the humans raised their hands while the Brain raised a stick like robotic appendage from the side of his metal body.

"It seems the vote is unanimous." Vandal Savage smirked maliciously at the table at large as they all lowered their hands.

"Congratulations Council, Project C.R.I.M.E. is now, officially, in operation."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND TADAA! Young Injustice is officially underway!
> 
> so this is just the prologue but I think you can get a taste for what might be coming soon. it took me a while to get used to the time stamps again, seriously I hate having to look up all the Time Zone codes for each of the areas, it takes up so much time and effort. But I wanted to keep it in the similar style to the original YJ episodes. there is the original members of the Light, plus one OC, Scarlett, a villainess from my first fic Swift Ascenscion. The rest of the OC's or "Agents" as I like to call them are to appear soon so I'm pretty excited to see where this is going.
> 
> Anyways, if you guys enjoyed just read and review and hopefully i'll get something up soon.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Fuzzybeta


	2. Agents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick warning, the Timestamps might get confusing but rest assured they're all worked out.
> 
> You see Gotham City and mount justice often goes by the EST timestamp and is one hour ahead of the Caribbean ECT, i.e. if it's nine o clock in the morning in Gotham, it would be probably eight in the morning in the Caribbean.
> 
> So don't worry if it looks a little disjointed it's all playing out in order.
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading.
> 
> Your author,
> 
> Fuzzybeta.

****

_**Gotham City, January 1, 14:58 EST, 2010** _

"Cody! CODY!" a woman's voice calls loudly throughout the small but neat apartment. Hidden in a room, barely the size of a closet a small lump snores in a cramped bed, blissfully unaware of the tall shadow that has just entered his room.

"Come on Cody, time to get up!" a man's voice barks, grinning as he walks over to the bed and yanks the covers off the lump, revealing a ten-year-old boy, with dark brown hair and pale skin. He's skinny and lanky yet short, and he glared grumpily at the man that had disturbed his sleep with bright green eyes.

He was a beefy man of Eurasian descent, his hair a dark brown like his son's. His thin almond brown eyes were crinkled in a fond smile as he shook his son's shoulder gently. "Come on champ. I know you had a late night, but it's time to get up."

"Don' wanna" the boy, Cody, grumbled shoving his face back into his pillow, only to have that too snatched from under his cheek.

"Nope. Sorry, Cody but you've got to get up. We've got that family dinner tonight, and your mom and I need you to help clean up around the house, starting with this room. God, how do you even sleep in here?" his father scowled as he looked about the small room. Most of it was clean, yet there was such a clutter on the boy's small desk, and clothes hung out of his wardrobe while bits of tech equipment, wires and circuit boards were scattered all over the floor.

"CODY! Oh for Pete's sake, Han have you got that boy up yet?" the woman's voice from before called out. Cody and his father Han looked up to see a woman with short reddish-brown hair, pale freckled skin and green eyes frowning at them from the doorway to the room. She was wearing a white and blue apron and carrying a mop in her hand.

"Hey, mom," Her son Cody, grinned sheepishly as he sat up in his bed gulping as her eyes scanned his messy room

Her scowl deepened as she caught sight of the dirty state of the room.

"Nicodemus Edward Morse! You better get up this instant and clean this room, or else I'll have you doing all the washing up tonight after dinner. I mean it! And once you're done cleaning this mess, you can go with your father to pick up more meat and veg from the grocer."

"Yes Mom" Cody groaned, and his dad chuckled as his mom left the doorway.

"Come on bud, let's get a move on before she turns into Momzilla again."

"I heard that Han!" Cody's mom yelled from another corner of the house.

Despite her temper, both Han Morse and Cody Morse smiled unaware of the small cloaked drone that just flown away from Cody's window.

* * *

The car was peaceful as both father and son drove along the road, the back seat loaded with groceries from that morning's trek.

"I don't see why Mom has to make all this stuff tonight. Ba-Ba and Aunty Kim are already bringing a lot of food with them" Cody groaned, not looking up from his smartphone, much to his dad's exasperation.

"Cody, you know how your mom is about these things. She didn't have much of a family growing up so-"

"So, she tries to make most of the family she has now. I know, I know" Cody sighed, pouting grumpily as he accidentally made a wrong swipe of his game. "Argh, Dammit!"

"You know, if you spent less time on that phone you might be less disappointed for once" Han snorted quickly winding down the passenger window. "Look, it's a beautiful day"

And indeed, it was. The sun was shining, and the sky was a bright cerulean blue without a cloud in sight. And while there was some snow littered here and there everything seemed bright and cheerful. In short, it was rare weather for Gotham City.

That was until something like a strange mist wafted into the air.

"What the hell?" Han frowned as he struggled to look through his front window.

With all the traffic in front of him, it was hard to make out what was going on. There appeared to be billows of something white and faint orange.

Han's face paled. He knew that mist. Being a seasoned security guard in Gotham's National Bank, who'd seen one too many break-ins by supervillains, he knew the horrors that came with the mist and the horrible person that had inflicted it.

His worst fears were confirmed when violent piercing shrieks of terror, began issuing from the traffic in front of them.

"Quick duck down to the ground," Han commanded as he made to shut all the car windows and lock all the doors.

Tucking his phone away in his jacket, Cody quickly did as he was told, doing his best to make himself as small as possible as he slid down to huddle on the floor of the car.

He had just managed to push his seat back to give himself some more room to fit when something heavy thudded into his door on the other side.

His dad quickly shoved his hand over his mouth, silencing his yelp as the shadow of a couple of people loomed over through his window, shrieking and banging its fists on the glass.

They looked quite deranged, their hair dishevelled and damp from the mist. Their eyes were red and wide with terror as they began screaming and screaming. And they weren't the only ones. Several people passed the car by, shrieking, panicking, shoving each other to the side, some of them colliding with the car as they desperately sought escape. Some people were clawing at their skin, drawing blood as they struggled to fight off what appeared to be invisible creatures from their flailing limbs.

"We keep down here until the crowd thins" Han whispered to his son "Then we'll drive away. Got it."

"Why don't we drive away now and get out before Scarecrow gets here?" Cody shivered. Even saying the supervillains name was enough to give him the shivers.

"Do that and we'll risk either running someone over, or we'll be attacked by an angry terrified mob. No Cody, it's better we stay still until it's safe to-"

_BANG! BANG-BANG! BANG!_

The gunshots reverberated through insides of Cody's skull as it smashed through the window of the car.

"Dad!" he cried out as his dad leapt back into the driver's seat and revved up the engines.

"Cover your mouth and hold on!" he cried out as tendrils of mist began seeping through the bullet holes.

Yet he had barely even moved the car an inch when suddenly something crashed through Cody's window.

"CODY!" he cried out reaching for his son as the long black-clad arm swiftly undid the lock on Cody's door from the inside.

"DAD!" Cody cried out as his door was forced open and he was ripped from his seatbelt.

His dad lunged for him, grabbing at his ankles, which slipped from his grip as a gun fired towards his wrists. Quickly he retracted them before the bullets could hit but the damage was done and his son slid out of the car.

"Shit!" Han swore as he scrambled for his glove compartment and pulled out a black gun from its depths. Quick as lightning he hurled himself out of the car, aiming his gun at his new targets.

For there were two figures in black dragging his son away into the mist.

"LET MY BOY GO!"

They turned as they heard him prep the gun to fire, one of them sneering behind his big oxygen mask.

"Shoot, and your boy dies" he pointed a gun to a terrified Cody's dark head of hair. The poor boy was nearly pissing himself with fright as tears streamed down his eyes.

"Dad, Dad No-Dad-"

He winced as his captor shoved his gun against his head.

Han gulped down a huge breath, his hands shaking on his firearm. This was too much for him to take. He had no trouble shooting a man, but with his son's life in the balance…

Slowly and surely, he lowered his gun to his side.

"Smart man" the dark figure with the gun to Cody's head smirked through his mask. "Now put the gun on the ground"

Han shut his eyes. It loathed him to let anyone tell him to put his gun down, but his son…

He put the gun down to the ground, kicking it to the side for good measure.

"Good man," the man in the mask nodded.

"I did as you asked" Han's voice was now shaking more than his hands, his heart hammering in terror. Yet despite his own struggle and the very thick fear gas around him, he had enough courage in him to blurt out "Now give me back my son"

"I'm afraid your son is coming with us" the man in the mask replied coolly.

"Then take me with you. Surely two hostages are worth more than one." Han was sweating profusely now as he felt the toxin around him fill his lungs with every breath. "I-I work security at the National Bank. I-I could help you guys-"

The man in the mask just laughed.

"You, help us? We don't need the likes of you to get us into the bank. We get paid a hundred times your salary in one day's work."

"Ahem," the other masked man coughed irritably "We need to get a move on. The boss is getting impatient and we promised him we'd have no witnesses."

"Well, then we better not disappoint him then" the first masked man shoved Cody into his mate's grip, now aiming his gun at Han.

"Wait-w-what are you doing?" Cody spluttered as he watched his father's face turn the colour of chalk.

"Sorry man, but as you've heard. We can't allow any witnesses. It's nothing personal. It's just business. You understand I'm sure. Devers cover the kid's eyes. This will be messy"

"No! Wait! Stop-DAD!"

**_BANG!_ **

**"CODY!"**

* * *

_**Bermuda Triangle, January 1, 07:20 ECT, 2013** _

"CODY!"

**BANG!**

Cody Morse groaned loudly.

He was on the floor, or rather his head and torso were on the floor, while his feet rested on the lower bed of the bunk bed he had just fallen from.

Above him, a shadow loomed over, folding their arms and grinning widely. It was a teenage boy, lean with a short mop of bright ginger hair and golden brown eyes, wearing a baggy black sweater and sleeping pants

"Morning sleeping beauty" he gave a crooked Cheshire grin.

"Shove off Tom" Cody sat up groggily, running a hand through his dark brown hair. Blindly he reached for his glasses that sat on his bedside table, ignoring his roommates chuckling at his expense.

"What time is it?" he mumbled.

"Almost seven thirty" The other boy, Tom, smirked as he nimbly clambered his way up the bunk bed ladder to grab his toothbrush from its case on the windowsill.

"You woke me up before the alarm?" Cody asked incredulously as he finally got a look at himself in the mirror plastered on the door of the room's small rather dull looking grey wardrobe.

He hadn't changed much over the past three years. True he had grown taller and leaner with a little more muscle, and sure his face had started to lose some of its baby fat, revealing what was promising to be a pointed thin face. But his hair was still the same dark brown and his eyes were still the same green, almond-shaped orbs as before.

_If only mom could see me now…_

Cody thought glumly as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.

"Hey, you getting ready or are you too busy being falling in love with your reflection?" Tom called from where he was brushing his teeth in the tiny en-suite bathroom, his mouth full of white foam.

He frowned as he caught sight of his friend's stricken face.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, it's the anniversary today ain't it?"

"Yeah. It is" Cody sighed heavily as he trudged over to the wardrobe.

It had been three years to the day since he'd been taken away from Gotham City. Three years after his dad was murdered and he was kidnapped. Three years since he'd heard his mom yelling at him to clean his room, or even wishing him a grumpy but loving goodbye as she hurtled through his old apartment like a tornado.

_She would be impressed by how clean I've managed to keep this room for the past three years_

He snorted to himself as he slipped on a pair of long sports leggings, a grey T-shirt and a pair of standard black trainers. Morning training would be beginning soon, and tired as he was, he wasn't too fond of the idea of being late…again.

Once he was done, he quickly dashed to the bathroom to finish his morning routine while Tom got dressed in his own training gear, only he wore a black tank top.

"Sneaking your earplugs in again? Slade's gonna love that" Cody shook his head as he spied Tom pocketing the small plugs in the pockets of his leggings.

"That old man can go suck it for all I care" Tom rolled his eyes pricking his ears as something knocked on the opaque glass wall opposite the bed.

"HEY! Tom? Cody? Are you both decent?" A feminine and a distinctly British voice called through.

"Depends on what you mean by decent" Tom grinned as he gently swiped down the opaque glass. As his fingers travelled downwards, the glass slowly but surely became more and more transparent until finally, the two boys could see out into the corridor outside.

On the other side of the glass, two girls around their age stood. One of them, the girl that had spoken, had her arms folded and was pouting irritably. She like them was wearing the same black tights and trainers, though she wore a white T-shirt. Her blonde curls were tied in two short but high girlish pigtails with black bows. Behind her, the other girl was dressed in a white T-shirt and leggings, though her long purple-black hair that reached down to her waist, was tied in a long plait, with one of her front bangs held back by a small black clip with a tiny white flower.

"morning" she mumbled, her freckled cheeks blushing a bright pink, as she caught sight of both Cody and Tom through the glass.

"Morning Bella, you're looking lovely this morning. Ain't I right Codes" Tom winked elbowing Cody hard in the ribs as the latter failed to get a word out of his gaping, flushing face.

"H-hi…"

"Hi" she gave him a shy smile before mumbling "Uh…you got some-"

"Oh right," Cody wiped at the remaining toothpaste that sat at the corners of his mouth.

There was a very pregnant pause, only punctuated by the blond-haired girl's cough.

"Ahem, training, five minutes." She pointed to the corner of the glass where a large holographic digital clock was counting down the time.

"Shit didn't see that. Thanks, Ducky" Cody quickly rushed back into the bathroom to wash his face while Tom quickly deactivated the glass door to their small room.

As he did so, the girl Ducky quickly snatched at Bella's elbow.

"Come on Bells, before Slade kills us too"

"Oh-okay! See you at practice!" Bella waved shyly at the two boys as she was dragged down the corridor.

"CODY!" Tom growled as Cody came stumbling out of the bathroom.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

* * *

_**The Batcave January 1, 10:25 EST 2013** _

Batman stared at the screen before him, where a crime scene blared out in front of his eyes.

All that blood…so much blood.

He had worked in crime fighting for years and had grown accustomed to the sight of such grizzly scenes. Yet even as he examined all the information that he had laid out before himself…

"Master Bruce," the calm yet sad voice of his butler Alfred spoke softly from behind him.

"Not now Alfred" Batman pinched the bridge of his nose as he willed himself to keep everything together.

He just couldn't believe it was true. He couldn't.

_It must be a setup. There's no way it could be possible otherwise._

"I know everything looks bad. But I know you'll find a way around this. You always have and you always will" Alfred put a firm but gentle hand on his shoulder.

"And what if I can't?" the great detective now had his head in his hands. "What if…what she…what if it's all true and-and, Dick. What am I going to tell Dick and Jason?" his voice fell away, unable to say the words that got stuck in his throat.

There was a silence as Alfred sighed and set down a calming cup of tea on his charge's desk.

"You'll find a way, sir. You always do"

* * *

_**Bermuda Triangle, January 1, 09:25 ECT, 2013** _

"Well, there they are. What do you think?"

Lex Luthor smiled as he looked down upon the training arena.

He was standing raised on a high metal catwalk, leaning down eagerly to watch as a tall man with short grey-white hair and beard, in orange and black Kevlar suit with an eyepatch over one eye and two katana on his back, monitoring eight teenagers closely as they sparred in pairs against one another. As they fought, the man would watch, providing pieces of advice and criticisms to their work.

Beside Luthor stood a rather short plump middle-aged African American woman in a dark blue suit, and a young tall beautiful middle-eastern woman in an ornate turquoise hijab and a long white doctors coat over her clothes.

It was the plump woman who scowled down at the group of teens with folded arms.

"So, these are the infamous agents of Project Tartarus? I was expecting more." she glanced in disappointment at Luthor who smirked.

"They may not look like much now Waller," he drawled "but we have been running extensive tests on their abilities throughout the three years we've been training them, and they've been making remarkable progress. Isn't that right Doctor Bishara?" he turned to the younger woman who smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"Indeed, Mister Luthor. If the lab's calculations are correct, it shouldn't be long now till they're ready to go out into the field with their abilities."

"And how long will that be?" the woman, Waller, raised her eyebrows.

"According to our calculations…it would be around six months, maybe eight if we really want to be certain." Doctor Bishara checked her smart-pad quickly.

"Six months? I thought you said they would be ready for a mission now!" Waller muttered, glaring at Luthor "The longer we put off putting these agents in the field the closer the Justice League gets to-"

"I am aware of the League situation." Luthor put up a placating hand "And as for our new agents, their trainer Deathstroke is quite assured that they are ready to start fieldwork. We just have to give them one final test"

"Sir, with all due respect" Doctor Bishara narrowed her eyes "The Agents have yet to refine their abilities-"

"They can refine them in the field" Luthor waved the younger woman off "from my experience, field work often forces agents to hone their skills at a much faster rate than if they were just sitting holed up in a cave"

"So, we agree. We send them tonight for their trial run" Waller huffed.

"Yes, tonight" Luthor nodded, shooting a dangerous glance to Doctor Bishara who had opened her mouth to speak, only to shut it hastily and sigh.

"I suppose it had to happen sometime"

"Good. Now we're all in agreement perhaps you can tell me more about these agents" Waller's shoulders relaxed as she straightened up.

"Of course, doctor?" Luthor gestured to Doctor Bishara who quickly brought up a holographic screen in front of them.

"So, tell me, doctor, what are we working with?" Waller folded her arms as she stared at the various personnel profiles that suddenly appeared before her.

"I think you mean,  ** _who_**  we are working with" Doctor Bishara muttered darkly as she pressed her finger to the holograph nearest her.

In it was a picture of a pale young girl with long dark black hair with a purple sheen and bright violet eyes wearing a plain black bodysuit.

"Let's start with the youngest. Belladonna Isley. Codename: Nightshade. Age: twelve years old. A plant, human hybrid created by Poison Ivy whom she calls Mother."

"And does she share the same abilities as her  _mother_?" Waller quirked a brow and Bishara nodded.

"More or less. Though unlike her mother she appears to have a far less manic disposition. If anything, the girl's a pacifist, and prefers to devote her abilities to the healing and wellbeing of her fellow agents"

"Rest assured we're doing what we can to staunch her bleeding heart." Luthor scowled but surprisingly Waller shook her head.

"No, a good medic is an indispensable resource, especially one with abilities like Poison Ivy. Continue Doctor"

"Thank you, Mam" Doctor Bishara pulled up another file over Belladonna's. This time they could see the image of a young Eurasian boy with dark brown hair and bright green eyes half hidden behind thick glasses.

"Nicodemus 'Cody' Morse. Codename: Cypher. The nephew of Edward Nygma also known as the Riddler. Age: 13. A technological genius, and an IQ of 158. While his academic knowledge and problem-solving skills are off the charts he is still one of the weakest in hand to hand combat-"

"Just like his uncle" Waller sighed heavily "Have they had any contact?"

"Yes, Mister Nygma often comes to visit his nephew between his stints in Arkham, however his visits are rather infrequent."

"Hmm…I suppose it's for the best. Nygma is a troublesome man to work with, God forbid he has any large influence on any of the agent's minds" Waller conceded, gesturing for Bishara to bring up the next file in which a ginger-haired boy with catlike amber eyes.

"Ah, I know this one." Waller smirked "Thomas Caterwaul Junior, son of Thomas Caterwaul Senior the CEO and founder of Caterwaul Security. His father said he was studying abroad,"

"Well, he technically wasn't lying" Luthor shrugged oh-so-innocently "Caterwaul senior sent us junior thinking he was going to attend a reform facility to cure him of his kleptomania and his obsession with Catwoman. Hence the codename Tomcat"

"And instead you sent him here?" Waller quirked a brow.

"Second to Cody, Tom is one of our best hackers." Bishara explained, "this added to his advanced training in hand to hand combat, stealth and gymnastics he potentially could turn out to be one of the best thirteen-year-old cat-burglars in the world."

"Impressive" Waller nodded impressed as she reached out herself to flick to the next profile, where a young girl with blonde pigtails with black bows, and a slightly beaky nose.

"Odette Cobblepot. Age fourteen. Daughter of the Penguin himself. Codename: Ducky"

"Ducky?" Waller rolled her eyes and Luthor snorted darkly.

"Don't let that cutesy Lolita Doll face fool you, Waller. I've seen that girl shoot a small tin can from nearly two miles away without batting an eye"

"She's a good shot then?" Waller turned to Bishara.

"Trained by Deadshot himself. Though even before that she had extensive knowledge of firearms thanks to her father. She also has quite a shrewd head for money and business if I should say so myself. Which brings me to our next Agent."

Bishara quickly pulled up a picture of a girl with a thin pointed face, chalk-white skin, long white blonde hair, and sultry jet-black eyes flecked with red sparks.

Despite it being only an image, all three adults shivered where they stood, as those dark eyes seemed to pierce into their very souls.

"Mina Poole. Age, fourteen. Codename: Siren. Daughter of…well, you can read for yourself" Bishara gulped as she forced herself to look away from the image and towards the text.

"To think that man could actually spawn anything" Luthor muttered darkly running a hand over his bald head.

"She's a telepath?" Waller read from the text below the image and Bishara nodded.

"Yes and a powerful one at that. Though we keep her powers contained with the help of her inhibitor collar, which she wears all the time. However, while it suppresses her telepathy, we have set it to not suppress her augmented strength and advanced regenerative abilities."

"I can imagine with her…uh… _abilities_  she's not too popular with the rest of her teammates," Waller asked but Bishara raised her eyebrows.

"Actually they all seem to be rather comfortable around her. The girl might look like a demon from hell, and while it is true she does display some psychopathic tendencies, she is otherwise a very calm and level headed, if slightly moody, teenager. Of all of our agents, I'd say she has the most qualifications to be the team leader in the field."

"So I see." Waller pursed her lips as she read all the girl's recommendations at the bottom of the page before sliding to the next file.

In it was an African American boy with short dark spiked hair with orange dyed tips, dark eyeliner and many silver earrings dotting all the way up his ears.

"Who's this little punk?" Waller narrowed her eyes, clearly not impressed with the boy's less than professional appearance.

"Frances "Franky" Mason. Codename: Friday#13. Age fifteen. Protégé of Jonathan Crane, aka the Scarecrow." Bishara chuckled at Waller's reaction "A budding artist, Franky makes his own toxins and fear gas formula which he disperses with the help of his spray cans. Thanks to the various experiments he has let Crane conduct on himself over the years he no longer feels any pain nor any fear."

"So this is the graffiti artist that has been vandalizing the rest of the facility is it?" Luthor smirked shaking his head.

"He says he's making a new exhibition" Bishara chortled "I gotta say though, some of his work is quite brilliant. It really does liven the place up a bit, sorry" she added as both Waller and Luthor raised their eyebrows at her.

"Now, for the last two." She quickly coughed as she pulled up two files side by side.

One was a very tall and hulking young man, built strongly like an ox with dark hair cut in a short buzzcut. The other was a strongly built, muscled young woman with a beautiful face and long dark hair tied in a ponytail. Both had tanned skin and bright blue eyes.

"The twins, Esmerelda and Brutus Dorrance. The son and daughter of Bane and our strongest hand to hand combatants. Or as their codenames call them, Beauty and Beast. Both our oldest agents at sixteen, they volunteered to join our program if we promised to help come up with a cure for their father's addiction to Venom"

"They don't take Venom themselves?" Waller frowned in surprise.

"No. They refuse to even have anything to do with the substance, or really any addictive performance-enhancing substance, especially Esme. She's quite a health nut. We have instead augmented their super strength by activating their dormant meta-genes."

"And how strong are they at present?" Luthor pursed his lips.

"Much like the Terror Twins, they are just under the strength level of your ex-Cadmus experiment Project Kr. But with a couple more experimental procedures they should catch up to him quite soon"

"Hmm…Good." Luthor murmured, though it was plain to see he wasn't too happy to hear about his previous experiment, and for good reason.

His thoughts were interrupted as a ping as a male voice barked:

 _"_ STOP! That's enough!"

"Ah, I see Slade has finished his session" Doctor Bishara quickly swiped the holographic files away as she, Waller and Luthor all looked down to the floor below.

"That's enough!" Slade Wilson, aka, Deathstroke's voice cut through the hubbub of the four sparring matches, which quickly halted at once.

"Thank god" Cody sighed in relief as he and his sparring partner straightened up.

His partner, a tall hulking mass of muscle dressed in black, smirked as he thudded him playfully on the shoulder.

"Come on you've barely done five minutes with me"

"Yeah, well not all of us have super strength Brutus" Cody wiped his sweaty brow, nose wrinkling as his arm became soaked.

He wasn't the only one. Beside him on his left, Ducky was sweating buckets as she still desperately tried punching at a tall muscular girl with a dark ponytail.

"Argh! Esme! Damn you big f***ing-one of these day's I'll-ARGH!" she cursed, her British accent thickening as she continued to flail at the older girl who held her still with one hand pressed casually over her face.

"Come on Ducky, it can't be that hard" Esme smirked as she calmly checked her nails. "Damn, the polish is chipping. Hey Franky, you think you could do my nails again?"

"But I just did them yesterday!" the dark form of Franky rolled his eyes, running a hand through his spiked hair as he and Tom both straightened out and gave each other a fist bump. "Good work Kitty Cat"

"Right back 'attcha Pumpkin" Tom grinned as he turned to the last pair.

"Oy, Bella, Minny, how you both holding up?"

"Oh, we're fine" the very pale face of Mina Poole scowled as she reached down to help a trembling Belladonna back up to her feet from where she'd swept her down in a takedown. "You okay Bells?"

Bella nodded meekly, flushing red with embarrassment as Deathstroke gave a very exasperated cough.

"That was a good session"

Everyone's ears perked up excitedly, only to deflate as the mercenary narrowed his eyes and said:

"Or rather, that would be a good session if I were training a bunch of pathetic wailing infants, which I know I am not. I expect better from you in your simulation exercises. We have some very special visitors coming to watch your training this afternoon, so you better bring your A-game or else I'll have you on another Island run, is that clear?"

"Sir yes sir!" all the teenagers stood to attention in unison.

Seemingly satisfied with their answer, Deathstroke nodded and jerked his thumb over his shoulders.

"Good. Hit the showers and get some breakfast. We recommence training at thirteen hundred hours sharp. If you're late, you can expect a personal thrashing from me. Now go!"

"Finally" Cody sighed as he and the others all quickly dashed off to the large door behind the mercenary who sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Kids" he huffed hands on his hips as he looked up to see Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor and Doctor Adiva Bishara walking down the stairs from the catwalk to the ground.

"Great…more top brass" he muttered darkly to himself, though he quickly settled his face into its professional stern mask as he nodded at each of them in turn.

"Luthor, Waller, Doc"

"Mister Wilson" Luthor smiled his fake businessman smile as he greeted the mercenary. "I must commend you on your teaching skills, your pupils have certainly improved since the last time I was here."

"Really I hadn't noticed," Deathstroke said dryly as he turned to face Waller, not even bothering to hide his loathing as he sneered.

"And what are you doing here Waller? I thought I was finally taken off your roster for Taskforce X"

"And you still are." Waller returned his glare with interest "Don't worry. You won't be going on any suicide missions for a while. Besides the board has agreed that you're of more use to us here keeping an eye on our new recruits."

"So I see" Deathstroke, glanced at Luthor, suspiciously, eying the way the business man's hands fidgeted and flexed by his sides, a habit he knew, the tycoon fell upon when he was stressed.

"Something has happened hasn't it. Something big"

"Indeed it has" Luthor murmured, his smirk giving way to a grave scowl as he shooed Doctor Bishara away. "Doctor, if you wouldn't mind leaving us. Perhaps go check on our agents. Waller and I would like a private word with Mister Wilson Alone"

"Of course, right away sir" Doctor Bishara nodded and was quick to dash off through the door the teenagers had just left through.

Once the door had shut behind her, Deathstroke straightened up and looked Luthor dead in the eye.

"Alright, we're alone. I'm listening"

"It would appear…that our comrade Red Queen is dead." Luthor managed to spit through his grit teeth.

There was a silence as the words seemed to echo around the room.

"Dead?" Deathstroke snorted in disbelief. "You mean to say that ** _your fiancé_** _,_  one of the most notorious crime bosses in the world. The woman whose stronghold is so secret and so heavily fortified, who is paranoid about her own security to the point of madness…is DEAD?"

"Yes," Waller murmured grimly. "Killed last night at the turn of the new year as it happens?"

"Let me guess, you want me to find out who killed her?" Deathstroke turned back to Luthor who shook his head.

"No. We already know who the killer is. All we need to do is to track her down."

"Her?" Deathstroke frowned and Luthor sighed.

"We will explain the details this afternoon when you rally your Agents for training."

"The agents-wait let me get this straight, you want  _them_  to track down the Red Queen's killer?" Deathstroke shook his head.

"You doubt your own pupil's training?" Waller raised her eyebrows and Deathstroke gave a hollow chuckle.

"They have skills for sure, but they are nowhere near ready to launch an investigation of this magnitude."

"Not without guidance they won't, which is why we need you to walk them through it." Waller explained matter-of-factly "We won't get them to do anything strenuous tonight. They'll just be running a rudimentary patrol of Gotham City, the place the killer was last seen. They'll trace their movements and return in the morning back to the island to report whatever they find."

"And what about Batman?" Deathstroke spat the heroes name out with undisguised contempt "He'll no doubt have his sticky paws all over the crime scene."

"Hence why the agents will go undercover as street kids." Waller finished firmly "Like Luthor said, we'll explain everything this afternoon when we brief the agents. Now, come on, let's find a place to sit, my legs are killing me"

"There is a conference room on the floor below we can sit in comfortably and talk." Luthor offered as he began leading the way out of the training room "If you would follow me this way. Slade, if you would like to join us"

"No thank you, Luthor. I'm perfectly fine here" Deathstroke scowled as he turned his back on the billionaire and the government agent and pulled up a hologram search just as the door closed behind the two guests.

He sighed as the door shut behind them both, relishing in his solitude as he examined a few pictures of a bloody office, and of a blonde-haired woman dressed all in red, with a strangely shaped hole stuck straight in the middle of her forehead.

As far as he could tell when he zoomed in on the image, it wasn't a bullet hole, for there were no powder burns around the hole and it wasn't a regular circular shape. It wasn't a knife stab either yet, whatever had pierced the skin and bony skull also must've gone straight through, because there was a massive bloodstain on the carpet beneath her head.

_So if it wasn't a bullet or a knife then what was it? Crossbow perhaps?_

He rubbed a hand over his bearded chin and sighed heavily as he looked into Red Queen's lifeless eyes.

Though he hadn't liked the villainess by any stretch, he still had some level of respect for her. The members of the organization, the Light, were not people to be trifled with. To become a respected member was an accomplishment in its own right, though Deathstroke himself wasn't too keen on the idea, being more of a lone wolf himself.

Yet that only begged the question. Who or rather, what kind of being could've possibly killed such a dangerous villain?

_And why the hell does Luthor want these kids to find them?_

Why indeed.

* * *

_**Mount Justice, January 1, 13:12 EST, 2013** _

_Recognised Robin B-0-1_

"HEY DICK!" Wally West beamed delightedly as he ran up to his best friend.

"Happy New Year man!"

"Yeah…yeah…happy new year" Dick Grayson smiled quietly, though it was plain to see his heart wasn't in the greeting. "Where is everyone?"

"Recovering in the rec room. You and Chris missed quite a party. Poor Kaldur is still waiting for his New Years kiss." Wally winked cheekily, elbowing his friend hard in the ribs only for his smile to fall as he saw that Dick wasn't grinning at the jibe.

"Whoa, hey dude what's up? Did I say something wrong?"

"Wally….I…" Dick looked down at the ground his blue eyes oddly misty and blank.

"Oh god, please don't tell me you guys argued, again?" Wally frowned, his worry growing deeper by the second even as his best friend made to swipe a hand through his rather messy black locks.

Now that he thought about it, the boy wonder's eyes were looking rather red as he shook his head.

"No…no we didn't fight…It's just…" he sighed heavily. "Get the team here, I'll explain everything"

"What? You mean the whole team or-" Wally frowned but was waved off by Dick.

"No, just Kaldur, Conner, Miss M and Arty. The less who know about this the better. Trust me"

"Uh...Alright Team vets only. Got it. I'll go get them." Wally frowned as he turned his back and sped away through the mountain.

Something was wrong, he could feel it in his fast metabolising gut. Something was very, very wrong.

_Dick, what the hell is going on? And where the hell is Christine?_

* * *

_**Bermuda Triangle, January 1, 12:49 ECT, 2013** _

"So, what do you think's going to happen today?"

Franky's question seemed to pierce through the silence that had engulfed all the Agents.

They were all sitting in their shared common room, all lounging about in their special plain black Kevlar catsuits.

"What do you mean?" Brutus looked up from his fourth helping of omelette his sister Esme had just served him from where she had been cooking in the kitchen.

"Well…in training today, Slade said we'd be having visitors coming in to watch us" Franky shrugged from his armchair as he braided a napping Bella's long black-purple hair.

"Usually when an outsider comes over to the island, like Luthor, or Riddler or Bella's mom, Slade says their name. He's always told us who's coming before, but this time there wasn't even a peep."

"Girl's got a point" Tom grunted from where he was hunched over a Nintendo controller as he, Ducky and Cody all played Mario Kart on the common room's large television screen.

"He also doesn't suddenly change our meeting place to the common room instead of the training roo-Wait what the-HOLD ON! WHO JUST BLUE SHELLED ME?!" he yelled angrily at the screen.

"I did." Cody grinned as his Koopa Troopa passed by Tom's Bowser.

Tom's nostrils flared.

"Alright, that's it you're going down! No-wait Duck come on!" he cried out as he slipped on a banana peel that Ducky's Princess Daisy had just dropped down onto the track.

From her beanbag chair to the sofa's left, Mina rolled her eyes.

"Blue shells and Banana peels? What you guys see in this game is truly beyond me" she muttered as she turned a page in her small book titled  **"The Shunned House"**  by H.P. Lovecraft.

"Says the ghost girl who reads horror stories for fun" Ducky raised a haughty brow at the older girl who merely raised her eyebrows.

"You should be careful, you're gonna get exploded by that bomb"

"What bomb?" Ducky turned back to the screen, just in time to see Princess Daisy be exploded by an upside-down box.

"Tom!" she growled as Tom now grinned.

"Payback's a real bitch ain't it?"

"Whoa, hey guys, language!" Franky clapped his hands over Bella's ears as the young girl started to stir.

"Franky? Waz…waz the time?" she yawned as she straightened up in her spot.

"Around 12:55," Esme called from where she had been cleaning up in the kitchen, pointing a now clean spatula at the three video game players. "You should put that away before Slade gets here. You know how he hates you guys playing those games. Especially when he's irritated"

"And right now, he's really pissed about something" Mina sat up from her beanbag, rubbing her temple as she felt a wave of mounting aggravation that wasn't her own, swiftly begin to make its way to their position.

"He's close. Come on, pack up and get in line" she barked and at once all of the Agents quickly scrambled to put their games, books and food away.

They had only just gotten to their feet and were trying to assemble themselves into a line when the mercenary turned trainer entered the room through the automatic doors.

His already stern face was even grimmer than ever as he looked each of his Agents up and down, and then turned to the television where the Mario Kart pause screen was still switched on.

He quirked a disappointed brow as everyone pointed to Ducky, Cody and Tom.

"Turn it off.  _Now_ " he snarled, and Tom was quick to turn the Television off, looking down to his toes as their trainer cleared his throat.

"Now that you're all  _finally_  ready, you will follow me to the mission room. You know the rules, no talking and no dawdling and certainly NO humming." He looked directly at Franky who gave a sneaky grin at Mina who shook her head.

_Don't try it today Frank. Slade's so antsy that I wouldn't put it past him to kick all our asses today if we pissed him off._

She told him telepathically and was relieved when she felt him back down from his argument.

Slade glanced at Mina suspiciously, his eyes travelling down to the thin silver choker band that collared her neck. Though her inhibitor collar was powerful, he knew the girl was only growing stronger with each passing day.

_Why they even bother to keep the damn thing on her is another mystery._

He thought as he led the team of agents out into the hallway and towards a large lift.

They took it up two levels, the doors opening out onto a gigantic hall.

It was massive. Around the size of a small football stadium, with one massive wall of lava flowing down from the ceiling.

In front of this wall, a tall female doctor in a turquoise hijab was standing with her clipboard.

"Good afternoon Agents. How are you all today?" Doctor Bishara beamed at the teenagers as they all filed into the room.

"We're all doing good thanks Doc," Brutus answered, as he and the rest of the group all nodded, smiled and waved warmly at the woman, much to Deathstroke's annoyance.

"I didn't know you had clearance to this level Bishara" he muttered and was not disappointed when the doctor spared him a dirty glower.

"I should be saying that to you seeing as I have always had clearance to  **every**  level of this facility Wilson"

Unable to give any retort back, Slade turned to face the wall of lava, the Agents following in his stead as he pressed a button on a remote control from his pocket.

"Behold the Voice of God" he drawled sardonically as a large holographic video feed suddenly appeared in front of the lava.

In it, a plump dark woman in a dark blue suit could be seen sitting at a table in a high backed black chair.

"Agents. My Name is Amanda Waller, and I am the new Director of Project Tartarus."

"New head? More like new mound" Tom muttered softly only to be slapped sharply on the back of the head by Mina.

"Sorry, Madam Director. Please continue"

"Thank you, Agent Siren," Waller smirked down approvingly at Mina before continuing "As I was saying. I am the new director of Project Tartarus. Now from what I understand of each of your personal files, you all have been training at this facility for the past three years, and since then you have yet to go on any mission, correct?"

"Yes mam" Mina nodded on behalf of the team, scowling as she felt the irritated thoughts of her teammates around her.

_Yet to go on a mission? More like kept imprisoned._

_Yeah I know right, I mean three years stuck on one island with no malls, no fast food-_

_I miss McDonald's-_

_Yeah me too especially their-_

_GUYS! Shut UP!_ Mina turned back to glower at them all and they all quickly schooled themselves back into quiet dutiful parade rest.

Waller, however, did not seem to notice as she pulled out a smart-tablet in front of her and began swiping at it.

"Today's your lucky day then because we have your first assignment."

There was a silence as all Agents ears finally picked up at the news. Had they heard right? Was it possible that after three years of deadly Bootcamp they'd finally have a chance to get off this damn island prison?

As if guessing their thoughts, Waller's eyes hardened dangerously upon the group of teens.

"Yes, I understand you are all very excited to get off this island, but be warned, this isn't a sightseeing trip. This is a mission. I expect you to go in and get out quietly. No side-tracking, no trying to escape. If you do, you'll be dealing with me, and as your trainer here knows, I don't take disobedience lightly"

"Understatement of the century" Deathstroke muttered under his breath, but Waller ignored him as several holographic files suddenly appeared around her screen.

"Last night at midnight, recording company CEO Scarlett Taylor was found brutally murdered in her office. The GCPD and the Batman are both already investigating the case however it would appear the assailant and the murder weapon have both vanished. For the next few months, it will be up to your team to track down this assailant and bring them in before Batman or the League can get their hands on them. Tonight, you'll start by investigating and observing the area around the crime scene once Batman and Robin have left."

There was a pause in which Waller leaned in, eyes flashing dangerously as she growled.

"You will enter the city through a boom tube hidden in the Gotham Sewers. You have until midnight tonight to conduct your observations, COVERTLY. That means no witnesses and no stunts that will get you noticed  **especially**  by the Bat or his protégé who will undoubtedly be searching high and low from the killer. If you fail in this you can be sure there will be dire consequences."

"Why?" Tom blurted out before anyone could stop him "I-I mean I know why we don't want to run into Batman, I mean, yeah sure he's the enemy and all that and we don't want to get beat up by him and…and…"

He trailed off as Waller's stare turned especially dark on him.

"What Tom means to say, mam," Cody sighed from his spot next to his best friend and roommate "Is what has this assailant got to do so closely with Batman? What interest does he have in this case apart from the assassination?"

"What do you mean by interest boy?" Waller looked down on the young boy warily.

"Well…uh…" Cody blushed as the spotlight was suddenly turned on him. "It's just…the way you're talking about this case, of how Batman and Robin are both searching high and low for the killer…while assassinations of huge execs are a big deal, you kinda make it sound like there's something personal going on here with the Bat"

Cody gulped and bristled as he felt the older woman's eyes scan him up and down like a computer. He had never felt so exposed in his life, and quite frankly he wasn't sure he liked it very much.

Needless to say, he was glad when she straightened up in her seat with a sigh.

"I suppose the news will be out anyway." She folded her hands together before her on the table she sat at.

"The person you will all be searching for, the murderer of Scarlett Taylor, is Batman's second protégé, Swift."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MUAHAHAHAHA! Bet you guys didn't see that one coming!
> 
> So yeah, it appears Swift is in pretty hot water for MURDER. So for those of you who read Swift Ascension (the New Remastered Edition), you'll remember my Main OC Swift's major rival was a woman called Red Queen, aka Scarlett Taylor. so if you want to know more about their relationship feel free to read Swift Ascension (Remastered) to find out, or you can continue to read this fic and wait to find out because I'll probably be explaining it again at some point.
> 
> Anyways I've also introduced our new team of Agents. I've tried to make them as unique and Non-Mary-suish as possible but still, send me your thoughts (constructively of course) on what you think of them. I know there's not much to go on here in this chapter but you'll get to see more of them and their abilities in the next chapter.
> 
> So you guys all know the drill by now. Keep reading and reviewing for more and hopefully, the next chapter will be up soon.
> 
> Looking forward to writing more and happy to be writing in the YJ community again.
> 
> Till next time,
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Fuzzybeta :)


	3. Bonds

**Chapter 2: Bonds**

_**Gotham City, January 1 2013, 16:26 EST** _

The Agents of CRIME all fidgeted as they sat in their black amphibious aircraft which they had nicknamed the Gull. They'd never been so nervous. It was their first time off that blasted island for god knows how long and they could not wait to step foot back on their home soil of Gotham.

_I wonder if Mom's still there? Has she moved on? Found a new partner? Is she on her own?_

Cody, or as he had to call himself on the field, Agent Cypher couldn't help but sigh as he shifted his behind in the pilot's seat.

He couldn't help it. It was the first time in three years since he'd worn jeans and it wasn't even good denim. He also didn't like the dark baggy green hooded sweater he was wearing, but as Deathstroke said, agents couldn't be choosers.

They were all wearing casual clothes to blend in with the civilian population with their stealth suits underneath. It was a good thing too because right now it was almost freezing outside.

"Nervous Codes?" Tommy, aka, Tomcat muttered from the co-pilot's seat.

"Just Thinking" Cypher sighed heavily as he looked down to his controls.

"About your mom huh?" Tomcat's eyes softened behind his yellow lensed cat's-eye goggles. There was only one reason his roommate would sigh like that, and that was whenever he was homesick.

The young cat burglar couldn't fault him. He too couldn't help the small twinge in his chest as he looked down upon the dark city below. Three years since his stupid dad had shipped him off to the Tartarus facility, all because of one foolish prank that had gone wrong.

_I'll show him._

The young cat's fingers clenched over his controls as he glanced behind the pilot's seats to where the other agents sat.

Brutus and Franky, aka Agents Beast and Friday#13, were busy muttering to one another as the latter tried helping the former settle the rather snugly fitting snow jacket over his body. With his massive size, it was always tricky for Beast to find clothes that fit him, a fact which frustrated him to no end. It was a good thing the Tartarus facility made most of their uniform's custom built to their sizes.

Beside the pair, Bella (or as she now called herself Agent Nightshade) and Agent Ducky were busy gushing over the city skyline. Neither could wait to set foot on home soil, for they, unlike many of their other teammates were here of their own volition. Their parents, Poison Ivy and Penguin, often came to visit the Tartarus facility, showering them with gifts and attention, much to the envy and irritation of the other residents.

Speaking of the last two agents.

_Hmm…wonder what Boss lady and Right-hand-hottie are talking about now?_

Tomcat smirked at the back of the plane where Mina (Agent Siren) and Esme (Agent Beauty) both sat murmuring in grim whispers.

"But why kill Red Queen? I mean I get that they're mortal enemies, but Swift's the Batman's protégé-" Beauty grunted as she finished tying her long dark hair in a high ponytail. "and Batman never kills his enemies."

"I don't know" Siren narrowed her red and black eyes as she fingered her slender inhibitor collar around her neck, an old habit she fell upon when thinking hard "From what I read on the case notes, I get the feeling that something pushed her over the edge. Something big went down in that locked room that was dashed off the recordings. Also, there have been reports that the Swift's behaviour has changed dramatically over the past few days in the field."

"Changed how?" Beauty frowned as her leader quickly pulled up some holographic footage from her seat. From his spot on the other side of the plane, Tomcat could see the vague black and purple shape move across the holographic screen.

"Her fighting style has become more destructive, and half the goons she's taken down have all ended up in the hospital almost half dead."

"You're right. This isn't the Bat's style of fighting" Beauty bit her lip, wincing as she caught sight of the girl wonder all but snapping both the arms of a man three times her size with two quick twists. "She's not even bothering to hold back her strength. She's just beating the shit out of them."

"Isn't that what we do on a daily basis?" Siren quirked a pale brow, but Beauty shook her head.

"No. We're  _taught_  to fight rough and dirty, but this is different. It's like she doesn't even see what she's doing to her victims."

The Hispanic-beauty glanced up from her screen, but Tomcat quickly turned before she could spot him eavesdropping. He shivered as he processed what he had heard in his head.

The Girl Wonder, protégé of the Batman, a hero famed for his discipline and self-control, had gone feral?

_No…no there's got to be a reason behind this. There's no way a perfectly sane, composed "hero" just cracks and turns into a vicious psycho killer. Something else is going on I'm sure of it...but what?_

There was a loud beep, and all the Agents looked down to the arms of their chairs.

"Message from Slade" Ducky pouted grumpily as they all settled back in their seats.

"On screen" Siren grunted, and at once Beauty pulled up the holographic feed so that the orange and black mask of Slade Wilson, Aka Deathstroke blared before their eyes.

"Agents. You are now approaching the first drop zone. Have your first squad ready to deploy their lines in ten minutes."

"Yes, sir. Friday, Beast." Siren barked, and at once Friday and Beast both stood to their feet and made their way to the back of the plane.

"Remember, this is a simple reconnaissance mission. Observe and report only. Keep your heads down and most importantly avoid the Batman and Robin. The last thing you need is the Dynamic Duo tracking you down back to HQ."

"Uh, Slade-I-I mean Deathstroke sir." Nightshade gulped sheepishly as the one good eye of the mercenary turned upon her "What should we do if we find Swift?"

"I wouldn't worry about that right now." Deathstroke snorted sardonically "Swift is a master of stealth. The chances of you encountering her on your first mission are very slim. However, should you spot her, keep your distance and observe from the shadows. She's much tougher than she looks and unlike Batman is not afraid to fight dirty. You kids wouldn't stand a chance against her at your current level of training."

The Agents all gulped.

It was common knowledge that their mentor had disdain for the Bat and his proteges, despite their many clashes. However, Siren could sense from his tones that the mercenary seemed to have a certain begrudging respect for the young girl wonder.

Then again, Siren snorted to herself; the girl had managed to kill one of the deadliest supervillains in the world…

She nodded dutifully, as she listened to the last of Deathstroke's instructions before the communications link shut down.

"Alright, you heard the man." She grunted as she stood to her feet and settled her plain grimy red sweater over her thick jeans and a pair of shades over her red eyes. "Let's get this show on the road. Alpha squad you're up first."

* * *

The alleyway was dark and cold as snow fell from the heavens above. Alongside a grimy brick wall, a drunken homeless man looked up from where he had taken shelter at the foot of a closed back door.

A woman was walking towards him, slender and petite with a head of long snowy white hair. She wore a thick and very tattered woollen trench coat over her black and purple catsuit, yet she walked with too much grace to be a mere woman of the streets.

Indeed, the shivering, cold, scantily clad prostitutes on the corner of the alleyway all shifted uncomfortably as the woman walked by them.

They did not throw a snide comment, nor any words at all as they usually would have done with any trespasser on their turf.

For this was not one of their fellow sisters of the night.

The homeless drunk gulped as the figure passed him by and he caught a glimpse of the face behind the high turned up collar.

She couldn't have been any older than sixteen, with a fine-featured pale face and disturbingly sharp yellow-orange eyes that put him instantly in mind of a bird of prey. He shivered as she spared him a glance, the fiery orbs scrutinising him for a split second before turning away.

There was a soft rustle, and tinkle and the homeless drunk looked down into the tin cup he used for collecting.

"Th-thanks" he shivered, though not from the cold. The cold he was used to. What he wasn't used to was receiving money, stained with blood.

It was then he noticed the tips of the girl's fingers peeking out from the long-oversized sleeves of her coat.

They were slender, with sharp claw-like nails from which something red stained her pale flesh.

The homeless man opened his mouth to speak but shut it hastily as the strange girl narrowed her eyes at him.

Then suddenly he sneezed as a small snowflake accidentally was sucked in through his red nose.

"'Scuse me" he grumbled, scrubbing at his face. But, even as he looked back up to face the strange girl, all he saw was the dark empty alleyway.

* * *

Kaldur'ahm of Atlantis, aka Aqualad, stared at the Bioship' empty seat in front of him in the bioship, his pale green eyes seeing but unseeing.

Around him, seven of the original team members sat, Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, Red Arrow, Artemis, Miss Martian and Zatanna. All of them were silent as they stared out over the vast expanse of Gotham City through their windows, none of them able to look at one another or even open their mouths to speak.

They could not believe what they had just heard.

It was all too surreal. It was unthinkable.

 _She should be sitting there._  Aqualad mind kept yelling at him despairingly.

She should be sitting there in front of him memorising the mission parameters with Dick. She should be rolling her eyes at Wally for something stupid he said, or laughing with Artemis and M'gann, or catching a small power nap to refuel her energy.

But most importantly, and above all else, Christine Hallows, Aka the Swift, should've been there with them…with him.

He had been worried when she and Dick had not turned up to the New Years party. It hadn't been the first time that the two birds had missed out on an important event, however, the rest of the team had always had a warning. Christine herself, always was sure to call Kaldur if something came up, apologizing profusely to her boyfriend whenever she got the chance.

The Atlantean never held it against her. Being the Batman's protégé's was gruelling work, even by the Justice League's standards, and it seemed as if the Triumphant Trio's caseload had all but doubled in the past few months.

Then in addition to the growing work, the Batman's family had gained a new member. Kaldur did not know all the details, though he understood life had been tense in Wayne Manor for the past few months.

Jason Todd, a young street kid from the Narrows. Stubborn, headstrong and hot-headed, this new addition to the Bat-Family had proven to be a challenge, especially for Dick Grayson.

Kaldur did not doubt that under the gruff exterior the boy was decent and good at heart. However, he couldn't help but worry about the boy's temper, especially around Dick, who in turn seemed to hold a similar grudge against him.

It didn't help the Boy Wonder's animosity towards the newcomer when Christine had taken a shine to him.

Then again, Kaldur wasn't surprised. Beneath the cold, calculating and introverted mask, his girlfriend had a warm heart. She might grumble and roll her eyes, but she'd never turn away a stray in need of a home.

So, what had happened? What had happened in the past twenty-four hours that had turned one of the most loving, giving, supportive people he knew into a cold-blooded killer?

He shut his eyes as he let himself be washed into a memory of Boxing Day morning.

_Her soft curves pressed against his as she rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers tracing the small battle scars and tattoos that marred his dark bare chest. He smiled as he stroked his fingers through her snowy white hair, kissing the bridge of her nose tenderly as she looked up at him through weary eyes._

_"You're troubled" Kaldur murmured into her crown._

_"Just tired" Christine mumbled as she ghosted her mouth over the gills on his neck "My boyfriend kept me up all night."_

_"Did he now?" Kaldur chuckled softly, pulling her closer into his embrace, his ears pricking as she sighed heavily against his lips._

_"Did you argue with Dick again?" he frowned down at her._

_"Yes and no." She grumbled with a small scowl "He hasn't said anything, but I can tell he's mad at me."_

_"How come?"_

_"I passed Jason under the mistletoe at the Manor yesterday. Don't worry!" she quickly added with a small grin when she saw her boyfriend's eyes narrow "It was just a peck on the cheek. You should've seen his face, ha! He went and washed his whole head straight afterwards to scrub off the girl germs."_

_"Good" Kaldur pouted down upon her irritably "because if he didn't, I would have had to punish him severely when I saw him next."_

_"Kal, he's just a kid" Christine giggled pressing her lips against his briefly. "Kissing him is like kissing a brother, like Conner, Roy or Wally-"_

_"And Dick?" Kaldur finished quietly, and her yellow eyes suddenly turned sombre._

_"I honestly don't know what's wrong with him. I've told him Jason being there doesn't change anything between us. He's still my partner, still my bro. But no matter what I say…"_

_She trailed off and shook her head. Kaldur's eyes softened as she rested her head back on his shoulder. He hated seeing her look so gloomy, especially in his arms._

_"Sorry," she mumbled against his skin "I'm completely ruining the mood with this kind of talk, aren't I?"_

_"Not at all, agápi." He kissed her forehead gently as he reached up to lace his fingers in hers over his chest "This is a big change for you and your family, there's bound to be some growing pains. I'm sure everything will be alright soon."_

_"I wish that were so" she sighed again gripping his hand tight as he kissed her knuckles one by one._

_"It will be. You'll see."_

But it wasn't alright.

Kaldur sighed as he opened his eyes and stared at her empty seat before him.

He didn't care what Dick's report said. Christine Hallows was not a murderer. And when he found her, and he would find her by hell or high water, then the real culprit would be brought in to justice, and she would return home to the people who loved her.

She had to.

Kaldur's fist clenched over his knees as he shut his eyes tight and prayed to all the gods.

_Please, Christine…Please be alright._

* * *

_**The Bowery (Gotham City), January 1 2013, 19:41 EST** _

"God it's freezing" Tomcat shuddered as he and Ducky both snuck in through the back door in an alleyway. "Thank god your dad let us hide out here. I thought I made his way onto his hitlist the last time we met."

"Yeah well, as long as you don't steal his umbrella again I'm sure he'll forgive you." Ducky rolled her eyes as they shut the door behind them and entered what appeared to be a corridor of a large set of kitchens.

"I told you it was just a joke. Besides, it's the Penguin's umbrella!  _The Penguin's umbrella!_  Ahh…" Tomcat sighed as the warm, hearty smell wafted into his nostrils. "Damn, something smells good."

"Oy! Keep your sticky paws off" Ducky swatted his gloved hand away from a hot slice of pie that was quickly shut into an electric dumbwaiter.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Cobblepot, what a pleasant surprise!" a distinctly French voice drawled, and Ducky quickly turned around, a bright beam spreading all over her pink cheeks.

"Mister Grus!" she squealed rushing up to the man. He was tall, thin and bald with a bad combover and looked remarkably like an old crane in his grey suit and stiff bow-tie. He bristled, blushing scarlet as the young girl bowled into him.

"It's been AGES! How are you?"

"I'm very well thank you Mademoiselle" Grus replied stiffly, his long beaky nose twitching with discomfort as she let him go. "Your father is expecting you and your  _friend_ upstairs at his table."

"His table?" Tomcat hissed into Ducky's ear as they were led away down the corridor, amber eyes suddenly filled with dread. "I thought we were only hiding out here in the back rooms."

"Oh yeah, because I'm going to come all this way to Gotham city for the first time in three years and completely ignore my Daddy?" Ducky rolled her eyes, elbowing him hard in the ribs "Man up Tom. The weaker you appear in front of him the more likely he's going to eat you for breakfast."

Tomcat sighed as they were led out of the corridor and into an elevator which took them up to the fifth floor.

With a small ding, the doors opened, and both young agents blinked as they followed Mister Grus into a vast space.

The Iceberg Lounge truly did live up to its name and reputation. It was huge, almost like an old-fashioned hotel ballroom, except that this lounge had a giant iceberg floating in the large pool in the centre on which a very smooth jazz band accompanied a beautiful woman as she sang rather smooth and sexy renditions of various Christmas carols and New Year's tunes. The sound was loud enough to travel to the top this iceberg where a platform raised high above.

It was to this platform they were approaching from a catwalk, blinking as the flashing strobe lights bounced eerily off the walls from down below.

But none of that seemed to deter the round shadow that sat alone at a circular table, flanked by two huge goons with guns.

"And there's my favourite little Duckling!" the shadow exclaimed happily with a raspy voice as it hopped off the tall-backed chair.

"Daddy!" Ducky smiled as she ran up to hug her father.

Tomcat gulped as he finally saw the Penguin's full form. He was short, very short, and round, with a receding hairline of thin black hair, flecked with grey. He wore a monocle in one eye, which was made of the broken end of a bottle. He wore(surprise-surprise) a tailored black and white penguin suit under a thick fur-lined black jacket, and carried an umbrella, the handle of which was shaped like a gaudy black and gold penguin.

Yes, Oswald Cobblepot was indeed a sight to behold.

"Now let me have a look at you" He smiled a toothy, slightly menacing smile as he pulled away from his daughter's embrace and held her out at arm's length to look her over.

_How the hell these two are related I will never know._

Tomcat shivered as he looked over Ducky's taller bouncier stature, blonde curly pigtails and sweet smiling face. The only traits she did share with the Gotham Rogue were her dark blue eyes and beaky nose.

The young cat burglar stiffened as suddenly the Penguin turned on him with narrowed eyes.

"And you brought the cat-brat with you too" the rogue sneered, pudgy hand clasping tight over his umbrella. "Maybe I can get some shooting practice tonight as well-"

"Don't worry Daddy" Ducky quickly put a placating hand on her father's shoulder. "Tommy promised to be on his best behaviour. I'm sure he won't try to steal your umbrella again."

"No sir, I won't. I promise." Tomcat spluttered as the Penguin hobbled over to stand in front of him.

Even though he was a head taller than the rogue, the young thief couldn't help but shudder as a smoke ring was blown from a hot cigar in his face.

"Hmm…you better, not you little punk, or else you'll be swimming with the fishes." the Penguin growled, smirking as the boy before him shivered and nodded vigorously.

Satisfied, he turned back to his daughter with a menacing but affectionate leer as he looped her arm in a gentlemanly fashion and led her back to his table.

"Now come, tell Daddy what you've been up to sweetheart. I want to hear  _everything_. I hear your shooting is getting better and better."

"It is" Ducky sighed as she took a seat pulled up for her beside her father as she started to prattle away.

Tomcat meanwhile decided to stand behind her seat, eyes and ears pricking at their surroundings.

Everything seemed normal, granted the Penguin's thugs were cracking their knuckles threateningly at him every time he looked them over. He looked up at the iceberg lounge's glass ceiling; eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a small shadow against the black night outside.

"Duck" he nudged Ducky warily, not taking his eyes off the ceiling.

"What?" she snapped but was quickly silenced by her father who promptly followed Tomcat's gaze.

"Ah…" The Penguin's lip curled angrily as the shadow slipped out of sight "Looks like we've got another visitor."

"Is it Batman?" Tomcat gulped. If Deathstroke knew that they'd been spotted, he'd have their heads.

"Probably" Ducky bit her lip however neither she nor her father seemed too perturbed. "Don't worry, we aren't doing anything illegal. All he'll see is me visiting during the holidays. I hardly think he'll chuck us in Arkham for that."

"So what we just sit here and do nothing?" Tomcat scowled only to receive a small sneer from the Penguin who settled back down comfortably in his chair.

"My Ducky is right. Christmas 'as been rather quiet for me so the Bat 'as no excuse to drop in. If you both keep your heads and stay calm, 'e won't bother us."

Tomcat sighed and looked down at the table where Penguin was now eyeing him shrewdly.

"I take it this ain't a social call then?"

"No…Daddy. It isn't" Ducky sighed leaning forwards on the table. "We're here on a mission."

"It's about time" Penguin grunted waspishly "I was wonderin' when they'd finally let you off that blasted Island."

"You and me both" Tomcat muttered under his breath, earning him a glower from both Cobblepot's.

"This is about the Red bitch's murder ain't it?" Penguin muttered in a low voice so that only his daughter and her friend could hear.

Ducky nodded silently, and Penguin leaned back. There was a silence as he took a long drag of his cigar and blew out a smoke ring.

"Hmm…it's a hairy case that is?" he smirked glancing back up towards the glass ceiling "Who'd 'ave thought it ey? The Girl Wonder committing a murder."

"So it's true?" Tomcat and Ducky both exchanged glances "Swift did kill the Red Queen."

"Oh yes." the Penguin's smirk widened as his eyes glinted with malicious pleasure "I just wish I could see the look on that Bat's face. That' bastard's been preachin'  _law and justice_ for so long only for his little brat to snap right under his nose. And to top it off, even he cannot find her. HA!"

He barked with laughter before taking a swig of scotch from beside him.

"So has anyone seen her yet? Or do you think she's left, Gotham?" Ducky bit her lip nervously.

"No clue duckling" Penguin coughed as he drained the last of his drink. "But I personally think she might still be hanging about. Rumour has it that the Red Queen has a big base o' operations 'ere under the city, close to the catacombs down in ol' Wonder City. Now that the bitch is dead, I wouldn't put it past the girl wonder to destroy whatever's left of that organization."

"You really think she'd go that far?" Tomcat frowned "the Hand of Eight are a huge group and she's just one sidekick-"

"-A sidekick trained by the Bat himself," Penguin's eyes narrowed dangerously over his pressed fingers "A sidekick who infiltrated what was supposed to be an impenetrable fortress and killed one of my biggest competitors and vanished without a trace?"

Tomcat shut his mouth, and Penguin clucked his tongue and shook his head.

"Kid, you got no idea just how dangerous the bats can be when backed into a corner, and the Girl Wonder, she's the worst." The rogue's face darkened considerably.

"She ain't like Batman and Robin, never 'as been. She's tricky, sly, less talkative and more ruthless. And now she's got a taste for blood; it won't be easy weaning 'er off it, you mark my words."

* * *

"Hey. How're you holding up?"

Robin, aka Dick Grayson, looked up from his vantage point. He was crouching on the roof of the iceberg lounge, peering down onto Penguin's meeting.

"Okay. It's a bit cold. Nothing I can't handle" Robin grunted as he turned away from peered down at the smaller figures below.

"Looks like Cobblepot's daughter dropped in for a holiday visit along with Thomas Caterwaul junior. Odd…then again they do go to the same reform school so maybe not-"

"Rob, that's not what I meant" a tall red-haired boy with freckles, green eyes and wearing a black and dark grey speedsters suit pulled his friend up and away from the glass to stand on the concrete section of the roof.

Two years had passed since the team had first formed. Two years in which the two young heroes had both hit the same height, with the boy wonder poised to start overtaking the speedster any day now.

But none of that mattered to Wally West as he put a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"Dick, I'm sure Chris is fine. I mean she might be framed for murder and on the run, but she's-"

"She wasn't framed Wally" Robin muttered his voice hollow and his face dark.

"You can't possibly believe the GCPD report?" Kid Flash scowled. He knew the boy, and girl wonder had been going through a rough patch in their partnership, but for Dick to give up on her like this was the worst thing he'd ever seen.

But nothing could've been worse than the next sentence that left his best friend's mouth.

"I don't have to. I know she did-"

"Dick you can't possibly mean that. She's your partner-"

"I saw her kill Red Queen Wally." Robin's voice was soft, yet it seemed to pierce the frigid air like a knife. "I heard the shot. I saw her standing over her mom's body with a crossbow in her hands pointed at her bleeding head!"

"…Dude…" Kid Flash's eyes widened, the green in his irises becoming wet and bright as he watched the Boy Wonder's shoulders begin to shake and his tears stream over his face to mingle with the snowflakes falling on their cold pink cheeks.

"She just stood there and shot her. She didn't even say anything. She just walked up to her and shot her in the face-"

"Dick are you sure it was her?" now Kid Flash's hands were quivering as he tried to keep himself together "It could've been-"

"Who? Wally? It could've been who?!" Robin snapped, glaring up at him through tears "I was by her side the entire time since she put on the cowl last night. Literally! We didn't leave one another's side! Not until Red Queen took me captive, and even then, I never took my eyes off her."

"What do you mean took you captive? Dick, what the hell happened in there?" Kid Flash shook his shoulders hard. "Dude come on. If something happened, you gotta tell us; we can help!"

But Robin just shook his head.

"I-I can't! I already said too much. I already promised Bruce I wouldn't say a word-and the league. KF you can't tell the League anything!"

"But Dick-"

"No Wally! You can't tell  _anyone_! Not the league, not the team. God help me Wally you gotta swear not to say anything to the team. It would crush them." Robin's voice was pleading, and he almost would've been begging on his knees had Kid Flash not been holding him up by the shoulders.

"Dick, you know you're my bro, and I'd do anything for you, but this is beyond serious." Kid Flash gulped down on the large lump forming in his throat. "Whatever she's done, Christine is in grave danger. We've got to find her and find out what really happened and maybe we can fix it. At least tell  _me_  how she escaped so I can help you look for her goddammit!"

"Wally you don't understand…" Robin groaned "She didn't escape…I let her go…I let her get away…with murder…"

* * *

"I can't believe it."

"I know."

"I really can't believe it."

"You already said that." Artemis's scowl darkened as she glanced sideways at Zatanna. The two of them were wearing dark tattered civilian clothes, magically summoned by the latter's magic.

Neither Archer nor magician was too bothered by the cold even as they pulled up the hoods of their snow jackets and walked in the shade of a narrow alleyway between two tall grubby buildings.

"Christine just seemed so happy recently." Zatanna continued in a mumble. "School was great. She and Kaldur were great. She nailed her ballet recital, and yeah sure her life at home's been a bit tough lately, but I just…don't understand how she could snap like this."

"Hmm" Artemis hummed grimly, though inwardly she wasn't too surprised.

It was no secret to the team that the Girl Wonder hated her mother with a vengeance. Artemis could not blame her. In addition to the years of neglect, the villainess was also responsible for endangering not only Christine's life but also the lives of many of her loved ones and family.

Artemis herself had almost been a victim of the Red Queen's plots only just this year, and though she had tried not to show it, the debacle had weighed heavily on Christine's mind long after.

_If only I'd not been so stupid and followed that robot into that trap._

Artemis exhaled heavily.

"Arty?"

"Hm, yeah?" Artemis blinked, only to see Zatanna frowning concernedly at her from the side. "Sorry, Zee,"

"You're thinking about two months, ago aren't you?" the magician sighed. "It wasn't your fault."

"But it was Zee" Artemis ran a hand over her face "If I had just obeyed orders instead of barging on ahead I wouldn't have been caught. And if I hadn't been caught, Red Queen might not have used me to get to Chris and…" her voice trailed away as she shook her head with a growl.

Zatanna bit her lip as a dark thought crossed over her mind.

"Hey…You don't think something like that might've happened to Dick do you?"

"What do you mean?" Artemis frowned.

"Well…I know this isn't exactly an easy time for him what with Jason and the fighting and everything" Zatanna fiddled with her gloved hands anxiously "But every time he talks about Chris he gets this guilty look in his eyes. What if…what if on New Years Red Queen targeted him, and Chris went in to save him and-"

"And she killed her to rescue him" Artemis finished quietly.

It was no secret to anyone that Christine Hallows was fiercely protective of her team, especially of her partner. Dick was like her brother, her twin in almost everything but DNA.

But something in Artemis's was screaming at her that this wasn't the case. The blonde archer had grown up amongst criminals for much of her early life. She knew the difference between killing to protect and killing in cold blood.

And though she wished dearly in her heart of hearts that her friend had killed someone to save her brother's life nobly, she knew deep down that there was something more sinister afoot.

What she didn't know was that something just as menacing was watching them from above with shrewd red and black eyes.

* * *

_So the sidekick squad is searching for their friend too. This will make things tricky._

Agent Siren scowled over the telepathic link as she pulled her powerful binocular's from her eyes. Beside her, Agent Beauty shivered under her thick winter coat.

_Y-you'd t-th-think they'd be l-less c-c-c-conspicuous_

Even in her thoughts, Beauty was freezing her ass off.

 _Seriously, you grew up in Gotham, and yet you can't stand the cold._ Siren rolled her eyes.

_H-Hey! N-not everyone can be as c-cold-blooded as you._

Beauty rolled her eyes as she turned around to face two figures hunched over a laptop.

"Yo, Cyph! Got anything from Ducks and Tom?"

Agent Cypher looked up from where he and Agent Nightshade were pouring over various security feed's he'd hacked into from the surrounding area.

"Beta Squad's just wrapping up with Penguin now," Nightshade mumbled, sneezing as a snowflake flew onto her nose. "Damn it!"

"Here, take my scarf." Cypher quickly handed her his dark green scarf from around his neck, blushing to the roots of his dark hair.

"But Cody-I-I mean Cypher, won't you be cold?" Nightshade's cheeks were pink, though whether it was from the cold or something else it was hard to tell.

Siren and Beauty both rolled their eyes as their resident hacker shrugged, still blushing profusely, as he focused his attention back to the screen.

"It's okay. I like the snow, besides you need to keep warm more than I do."

"Thanks" Nightshade mumbled gratefully, wrapping the green scarf around her neck and shivering as she pulled down her beanie tighter over her head. She always hated the winter and being part plant didn't help her predicament as she was always sluggish and sleepier during the colder months of the year.

Even now as she strode over to stand next to the two other girls, she gave a big yawn.

"Come here Bells" Beauty sighed slinging an arm around her shoulder to pull her in closer to her body heat.

"Thanks, Esme"

"Take her into the Gull, get her out of the wind at least," Siren grunted as she got to her feet. "Cypher and I will contact Alpha squad, and we'll figure out something."

The two girls were quick to nod and dash off to take shelter in their stealth craft which had been parked close by on the roof, hidden by the latest in Lex Corps cloaking technology.

As soon as they were out of sight, Siren turned to Cypher, eyebrows raised.

 _Seriously, you need to grow some balls and ask her out._ She said telepathically.

 _Don't know what you're talking about._ Cypher blushed, his fingers flying over the holographic screen as he made to bring up Alpha squad's commlink frequencies and their GPS trackers.

Both were moving very fast through the streets of Gotham. Too fast to be considered normal.

 _Tap into their feed._  Siren ordered Cypher, who nodded at once and opened the link.

"Gamma squad to Alpha Squad what's your status?" Siren snapped waspishly into the open channel which was crackling and sputtering oddly.

"Can't talk. Still running!" Friday panted, and over the other line, they could hear something loud, thudding and crackling.

"Running? From who?!" Cypher shared a worried glance with Siren whose glower darkened angrily.

"Dammit Fri, I thought I told you to keep a low profile! Where's Beast, put him on the line!" she growled.

"Right here! Just dealing with some stupid worms." Beast grunted, and through his commlink, they could hear flesh hitting flesh in sharp, hard thuds.

 _Should we go and help them?_ Cypher asked over the link.

 _No. We can't risk being seen._ Siren shook her head just as a loud thud suddenly pounded into their ears.

"There! That should do it!" Beast sighed and they heard the slapping of hands. "Two-Face's thugs…still too soft."

"Seriously man, that's the last time we go to one of your  _contacts_ " Friday snorted on his end.

"Ahem! Guys, would you mind telling us what the hell's going on before Mins completely blows her stack?" Cypher gulped, somewhat frightened of the scathing snarl of irritation Siren was giving the holographic screen in front of them.

"Beast said he had a contact here in North Gotham." Friday sighed heavily "One of his dad's informants. Only when we went to see this guy he…well…he was dead."

"Dead? What do you mean dead?" Siren's eyes narrowed.

"Well y'know dead. As in deceased, expired, departed, gone, passed away-" Friday smirked, much to everyone's exasperation.

"I know what the word dead means!" Siren snapped angrily, and Cypher flinched in his spot. "I mean how did the bastard die?"

"Don't know. We just found him lying dead on the floor when Two-Face's goons showed up. They thought we were with him so they started shootin' at us."

"Are you safe now?"

"Yeah, for the most part." Brutus snorted.

"Most part? Dude, you completely totalled-wait what was that?" Friday suddenly was alert, then he suddenly whistled under his breath. "Well hello handsome."

"Idiot get over here" Beast snarled.

"Guys! guy's what's going on guys!" Cypher hissed.

* * *

_**North Gotham, January 1 2013, 20:18 EST** _

"Guys! Yo Friday, Beast. Alpha squad report" Agent Cypher hissed into Agent's Beast and Friday #13's ears.

But neither of them could answer as they slid into the shadows of a doorway, keeping their eyes trained on the figure that had just appeared at the other end of the alleyway.

He was tall, wearing a high-collared hooded jacket and thick pants that fit snugly over his broad chest and body. His skin was pale, and his eyes were a bright blue under his short shock of jet black hair.

"Conner!" a feminine voice called, and both Friday and Beast stiffened as a girl with shoulder-length red hair wearing a muted pink snow jacket, beanie and knits appeared by the boy's side. She was looking very worried as she followed the boy's gaze.

"Sorry." The boy, Conner narrowed his eyes at the alleyway, with a surprising shrewdness. "Thought I heard something."

"Probably just the uh… locals" the red-haired girl shivered as she took in the dark, decrepit cold alleyway. She gave a meaningful look at the boy, whose eyes suddenly turned downcast as he turned gruffly away from the alleyway.

The girl sighed heavily, and Friday couldn't help but notice the sad gleam in her brown eyes and the way her shoulders slumped with absolute sorrow.

_She looks so sad…crap._

He and Brutus stiffened as suddenly the girl's head whipped around in their direction. Quickly they turned their backs on the pair of them, pretending to talk in hurried whispers.

"Come on M'gann. She's not here. Let's go" Conner, grunted miserably and the girl, M'gann nodded glumly as she followed him.

As soon as they were out of sight, and hopefully out of earshot, Beast exhaled heavily with relief.

"That was close."

"Too close" Friday agreed, and though he couldn't feel the rush of fear, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about the girl's keen stare. There was something peculiar about the way she'd looked at them, almost as if she'd heard his thoughts.

_But no…that couldn't be possible…or could it?_

Meanwhile, around the corner, M'gann M'orrz sighed heavily.

"Conner…I know it's tough, but we'll find her."

"No, we won't." Conner Kent grumbled dully, shoving both his hands roughly into his jacket pockets. The cold did not bother him. He just needed something to do with his hands to stop them from twisting and tearing apart this trashcan of a city.

He wasn't the only one. A few feet away walking towards them in the snow was Kaldur'am, half hidden under a long, tattered dark trench coat with a high collar. He was scowling angrily but quickly schooled himself as he caught sight of his teammates.

M'gann wished he wouldn't. Kaldur had an unhealthy habit of bottling up his feelings to the extreme in terrible situations, and often it did more harm than good.

"I take it you both didn't find anything" the Atlantean muttered, and M'gann shook her head.

"Not yet no"

"Have you?" Conner grunted, and Kaldur shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"Nothing concrete. However, I was talking to a few of the ladies on the street corners, and they said they saw a young woman with long white hair walking around a couple of hours ago, but they didn't see the face."

"So she was still here?" Conner looked up, and M'gann's heart almost broke as she caught sight of the hopeful gleam in his deep blue eyes suddenly dim as Kaldur shook his head.

"We cannot be sure. But I hope she was."

"This is bullshit!" Conner growled, fist slamming into the wall beside them, smashing a small crater into the plaster. "We've been searching for hours, and there's still nothing!"

"Conner, stop. You're causing a scene!" M'gann put a hand to stop him, but he just shoved her off angrily.

"Good. At least one of us is!" he rounded on Kaldur, who just stood there as he snarled "Well come on! Your girlfriend was just framed for murder and could be in danger, and you're just standing there, talking to prostitutes all calm and collected as though this is just another mission. Don't you care about what happens to her?"

"Conner enough" M'gann looked worriedly at the Atlantean before them. Though his face was calm, she could see both his neck gills and his nostrils flare ever so slightly as he spoke through gritted teeth:

"Of course I care." His webbed hands clenched into such tight fists that his knuckles had gone chalk white "How…how can you even think I wouldn't? I love her Conner, and I want her home just as much as you do. But how can you expect me to lead the team in this search if I don't keep my head?"

He turned his back on the two of them, breathing heavily as he did his best to steady his breathing.

He looked up to the cloudy snowing sky, teeth clenching as he willed himself to hold back on the yell of frustration bubbling in his gut.

Four hours of searching and so far, nothing had been found. Nothing! She wasn't at the Wayne Manor. She wasn't at the Hallows Manor. She wasn't in any of her favourite spots in the city. All her phones and commlinks were off, and nobody, not even her best friend Freddy had heard a peep out of her since the night before. It was like she'd just vanished off the face of the Earth.

Kaldur was glad that his commlink beeped in his ear because he was afraid he might lash out and lunge at both the super clone and Martian behind him from sheer anger.

"Aqualad here. Batman?"

Behind his back, both Conner and M'gann exchanged worried looks as they caught sight of the shock on their Team Leader's face.

"I…I see…I-I understand…of course…I will tell the team right away. Of course…yes, Batman, we'll meet you there."

"What is it? what's wrong?" M'gann bit her lip nervously as Kaldur hung up the call.

His face was pale.

"The GCPD has finally finished analysing all the data from the crime scene." He said through trembling lips "So far all the evidence they've found points to Christine, or rather, Swift as the murderer. They're starting to roll out a citywide manhunt for her as we speak. As of right now, the girl wonder is now an officially wanted criminal."

"What?!" Conner and M'gann's eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"That's not all." Kaldur's eyes hardened as he focused his gaze on the frozen pavement below his feet "Red Queen's forces are joining the search too, and they've been given orders to kill her on sight. Batman wants us all to meet him at Wonder Tower to change search tactics. It's not too far from here. We should get moving quickly if we are to make it there safely."

Both M'gann and Conner nodded, the latter barely even hearing his team leader's words as images flashed over his mind's eye.

In them, he could see himself horsing around with a shorter girl with long white hair and bright yellow eyes. She smiled up at him as he ruffled her head playfully in passing.

_"Conner come on. Don't sulk. We'll be back in a week."_

_"I'm not sulking"_  he would pout, and he could almost hear her sigh with fond exasperation as she rolled her eyes and shook her head at him.

She had been such a constant in his life since the day he'd been awoken from his pod, almost as close as a real sister. The kind of sister he confided everything in. The sister who would hear him out when he was frustrated or tell him off when he did something wrong. The sister who never gave up on him at times he almost gave up on himself.

He could remember as if it were yesterday, the first time she'd hugged him those two years ago. Barely a couple of weeks out of Cadmus and he had never felt any form of physical affection before.

_"What are we doing?" he asked unsurely._

_"It's called a hug" she broke away to smile warmly up at him._

_"A hug?"_

_"Uh-hmm" she nodded as she squeezed him tighter to her. "Welcome to the family, Superboy."_

He shut his eyes. She was always so much smaller than him and yet he still felt so safe and secure, like a little child every time she held him to her in those arms.

He couldn't believe that now those arms might have killed someone. It was just too absurd.

His sister, the girl who had taught him to hug…she, couldn't be a murderer...

...Could she?

* * *

Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, narrowed his eyes as he checked out the window. He had been sitting in this abandoned derelict building for over an hour, keeping track of his agents through remote access of their commlinks.

So far, he was impressed with the amount of information they'd so far managed to find, not to mention the fact that no one had found them out yet.

True, Ducky and Tomcat had come close to discovery when that blasted Boy Wonder had tried to peek in through the roof of the Iceberg lounge along with his loudmouth speedster friend.

However, they'd played it cool and flown under the radar.

_Hmm. Wonder City. That won't be easy getting in down there._

The mercenary scratched his chin thoughtfully as he mulled over the recording of Beta squad's meeting with the Penguin.

He had been hoping to have the Agents comb through catacombs later when it was safer to move around. There had been rumours that Killer Croc was once again haunting the Gotham underground and no matter how trained his agents may be, Deathstroke knew they wouldn't stand a chance against the misanthropic cannibalistic crocodile man.

However, if Swift were searching for Wonder City, then her trail underground would be fresh. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Agent Siren seemed to think so too because he heard her say through her commlink.

"Alright, Alpha and Beta squad. Meet the rest of Delta and me down in the abandoned subway at East Sheldon Park outside Wonder Tower. It's time we took our search underground."

Deathstroke bristled even as the girl stopped speaking. Even when he couldn't see her face, Mina Poole just had a way of ruffling everyone's feathers. He supposed it was only natural seeing that she took after her father-

He was surprised out of his reverie as his communicator in his ear blipped.

"Deathstroke in. Oh, Waller, what a surprise" he drawled, completely unaware of the shadow that had disappeared from his window.

* * *

"There we have it. Wonder Tower. I gotta say you know how to pick a romantic spot for a date"

Batman scowled sidelong as he leapt down through the window of the viewing platform at the top of the tall abandoned Wonder Tower globe. Beside him, landing with just as softly with a catlike grace was a tall, curvaceous woman in a jet black catsuit, a sultry face and orange cats-eye goggles over her eyes.

Selina Kyle, aka the Catwoman, was quick to wrap her bullwhip around her waist as they straightened up, her red lips curling in a seductive smirk as she stalked over towards him.

"Now, tell me. What does the big, strong Bat want from little old me?"

"Now's not the time Selina" he grunted briskly, putting a hand up to stop her from getting too close.

"I know. You look so tense" Catwoman sighed. The bat sometimes didn't know when to appreciate her small talk. Then again, he did look very rattled. She could see his exposed jaw was clenched so tight she was surprised it wasn't cracking from the strain.

He wasn't rattled, he was desperate, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why.

"I didn't find her if that's what you want to ask," the cat burglar said before the Batman could even open his mouth.

Now it was his turn to sigh heavily.

"I know, but I have an idea of where she might be headed." He grunted as he looked through one of the tower windows down to the ground far below. He could see a small group of people quickly sneaking down into the abandoned subway exit on the eastern side of the surrounding park, but that was hardly suspicious. Sheldon park was a favourite spot for criminals, druggies and homeless people to take shelter in for their less than legal recreational activities.

"Hiding in the Catacombs", Catwoman muttered as she too looked down on the last of the stragglers darting down the subway stairs. "Good luck finding her down there. Last I heard Croc was still on the prowl. He won't take lightly to you traipsing over his turf after last time."

"That's why we need your help." Batman murmured. "You're one of the few people in this city who knows Old Gotham through and through."

"We?" Catwoman quirked a brow. She wasn't sure she liked the sound of that.

There was a ding, and both hero and thief turned to the back of the room where an elevator had just opened, and five people stepped in

"Oh great its Kid Justice" Catwoman rolled her eyes as she recognised all the young teenagers. Conner Kent, Wally West, Artemis Crock, Kaldur'ahm, M'gann M'orzz and Zatanna Zatarra. It didn't help her growing ire when the small yellow, red and black shadow of Robin the boy wonder suddenly appeared in the window she'd just been looking at.

"And here I was thinking we were going to have a quiet night. Just the two of us" Catwoman rolled her eyes behind her goggles as she heard a police siren blare loudly from a faraway street. Tonight, really was just not her night.

* * *

_**Wonder City, January 1 2013, 21:01 EST** _

The figure of a young woman with long white hair strode through the grimy, dark underground streets.

All around her lights flickered in dusty, mould covered boutique windows.

Above her head on top of a rusted metal archway flanked by two powered down robotic sentinels on either side, the words  **Wonder City**  blared out at her in bold Olde English font.

"Finally" Christine Hallows narrowed her yellow eyes up at the sign, eyes darting around as she kept watch on the two robotic sentinels. Their metal plating was rusted over, and yet she could see from the scratches on their joints told her that they'd been moving around recently.

She chanced a glance at a nearby poster on an old tram line stop where an illustration of the mechanical automatons was painted under the words "Mechanical Guardians. Keep Wonder City Safe!"

She stiffened as she sniffed the air and saw a dark shadow behind her in the faint reflection of the poster's glass cover.

"Well done Hallows." a raspy voice murmured, the sound strangely distorted and deep.

She turned around.

There standing behind her, in black Kevlar and metal armour with gold decorations was a stocky masculine figure. He had two twin swords on his back and a golden clawed gauntlet on his right arm that matched the claws on his other black-gloved hand. His face was completely covered in a black fitted cowl, the eyes of which were covered by a pair of golden goggles with dark orange lenses and an owl beak embellishment attached just above the nose.

"I take it no one saw you come in?" the figure asked, but Christine's eyes only hardened coldly.

"Not a soul Rushford. Now take me to my family, that's an order."

"As you wish" the figure nodded briskly as he led the young girl beyond the archway.

Their goings were silent, save for the small drip-drip-dripping of water from the leaking sewer pipes above their heads, and the scurry of rats and other creepy crawlies that lived underground.

Eventually, they found themselves in the middle of what appeared to be a large underground four-way pedestrian crossing, complete with traffic lights and tramlines, all of which were in varying states of disrepair. They were quick to stride up to the corner opposite where a faded shop sign read, "Underhill & Davies Books" hung above a dark green doorway.

They entered the shop, Christine coughing as the unsettled dust flew into her face. It was tiny and crammed from floor to ceiling with old dusty books. She couldn't help but shiver in disgust as they made their way towards the back room behind the shop counter, which was covered head to foot in cobwebs and spiders.

If Rushford noticed her discomfort, he did not show it as he led her into the back room and bent down to open a trap door in the wooden floorboards.

"After you" he held open the hatch and Christine wasted no time climbing down the hole and onto a metal ladder. Unlike the room above, the tunnel she descended was incredibly clean and sterile.

"What happened to your hands?" Rushford grunted as he followed her down into the hole.

"the job" Christine grunted.

Rushford nodded without a word, shutting the trapdoor above their heads and plunging them into total darkness.

Christine, however, wasn't too fussed. His cowl had night vision, and she had way better senses in the dark anyway.

It didn't take them long before they finally reached the bottom of the ladder which had opened out onto a long grey tunnel lined with bright artificial lights.

After taking a couple of minutes to adjust herself to the sudden brightness, Christine followed Rushford down the tunnel towards a pair of steel doors at the far end. They were tall and decorative, with a great owl in flight embossed over both sides surrounded by a ring of words.

_Beware The Court of Owls that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send the Talon for your head_

In front of these doors, another man stood, dressed in the same dark owl suit, cowl and gauntlet as Rushford. However, this man was tall and lean, and though he only had one sword, his armour over his Kevlar suit was shinier and more ornate.

"Thank you, Rushford. I'll take it from here. Go back to patrolling the perimeter." the new man said, his voice far smoother than the rasp of Rushford who nodded with a cantankerous grunt.

"Yes, sir."

Christine watched as the stocky man left the way he had come. Once he was safely up the ladder and out of sight, the man before her strode forwards and wrapped his arms around her tight.

"Are you alright? You weren't caught were you?" he murmured into her long white hair as she let herself melt into his embrace.

"I'm fine Papa" Christine reached up to return the hug as her father let her go.

"I'm so sorry it had to come to this" her father murmured as he pulled back to look down at her. "I tried to convince your grandfather to let me do the mission-"

"It wasn't your fault" Christine cut across him firmly "It was bound to happen sometime. I wish Dick hadn't been there to see…" she paused to gulp down on the hard lump in her throat, her yellow eyes burning with tears despite herself

Her father shook his head as he squeezed her tight in his arms again.

"I know sweetheart…I know. But we can't do anything about that now. What's done is done. And we can't turn back."

"I know" she murmured as they broke apart this time both turning to face the door which started opening for them from the inside.

Quickly, Christine pulled out from within the depths of her shabby long coat, a white oval owl mask which she fixed over her face before following her father's footsteps, over the threshold, her white hair melting into the blackness beyond.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it, Chapter 2 of Young Injustice is finally up and running.
> 
> I'm so happy I finally got it out there. I'm enjoying writing the new Agents into the story and I look forward to bringing in more of the original YJ Team and Jason Todd. It'll be interesting writing them in the middle of the five-year time gap between seasons 1 and 2 because there's not much we actually know about how they grew up and matured between the two seasons.
> 
> Also getting the chance to explore a little bit of Gotham City has been fun. With places like Wonder City/Tower, the Bowery and North Gotham I'm drawing on my knowledge I have from my research for my Arkham Asylum games fanfiction and kinda blending it into the YJ universe, seeing as we never really get to see much of Gotham in YJ. Even Penguin's appearance is a blend of the classic DCAU incarnation (gotta love a classic) and the Arkhamverse version.
> 
> For those of you just tuning in to Young Injustice, I'd highly recommend you read Swift Ascenscion (the remastered edition) if you want more information on Swift/Christine Hallows' Character.
> 
> Anyways I hope you guys are enjoying this fanfiction and please leave a review if you'd like to read more.
> 
> Your Author,
> 
> FuzzyBeta


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